Comic Kelly MacFarland will headline a night of laughs Saturday, but the cause she and event organizers will be caring most about is a more somber one: keeping Barnstable teens sober and safe as they navigate a familiar rite of passage – the senior prom – this spring.

“I'm very happy to do it,” MacFarland says of the Comedy Night and Silent Auction fundraiser, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis. This is a repeat performance for her at this event, which benefits Barnstable High School's “Celebration,” an after-prom party held at the school. It's a cause she believes in, she says, and she has supported several similar events in other areas.

MacFarland has appeared in comedy clubs, colleges, theaters and on some television programs. She performed on Comedy Central's “Premium Blend” and has opened for Melissa Etheridge and LeAnn Rimes at the South Shore Music Circus and the Cape Cod Melody Tent, according to information on her website. She is currently touring clubs and colleges across the country and has just returned from entertaining U.S. troops overseas.

She was named “Best of the Fest” at the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival in 2010, the website says, and was first runner-up at the 2009 Boston Comedy Festival.

Joining MacFarland Saturday will be Mike Whitman, who performs stand-up comedy at Mottley's Comedy Club in Boston, and Sean Sullivan, a Boston-based comedian, actor and writer.

The “adults only” evening will also feature a silent auction, raffle, appetizers and a cash bar.

Cheryl Corbett, who co-chairs the fundraiser with Deb Nelson, said in a phone interview that this will be the 18th year parents and friends have banded together to provide a safe haven for seniors to gather and have fun after the prom. The event has grown over the years, to the point where it now requires a $30,000 budget.

“People don't really understand the investment,” Corbett says. Fundraising efforts go on throughout the year, she says, but this comedy show has, for the past three years, provided the biggest return.

This year's prom is scheduled for May 31 at the Resort & Conference Center. The seniors will then head to the school for the after-party, where no one is permitted in after midnight and all are subject to breathalyzer tests at the door. The success of the party, Corbett says, depends on keeping the kids engaged and interested from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., when buses line up outside the school to transport party-goers safely home. Students are encouraged to leave cars at home.

Organizers try to introduce something new at least every hour throughout the night, including entertainment, trivia, a magician – a constantly changing line-up to keep things interesting. The event requires about 70 volunteers to prepare, chaperone, and keep things on track for the alcohol- and drug-free all-nighter. Food is donated by local restaurants and parents.

“It's been really, really wonderful,” Corbett says of the event, noting that it's a “total community effort.”

And does it work? Corbett says they are proud of their record of mostly incident-free prom nights. “Did we do our job?” organizers ask at the end of the evening. That question can be partially answered with a head count. When kids stick around until the end, the party is deemed a success. Last year, 500 teens showed up after the prom. At the end of the evening, 389 were still there. It was a winner.

Saturday, Jan. 26

· The Harwich Conservation Trust will host “Ocean Noise and Passive Acoustic Research in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary,” a presentation by bioacoustician Denise Risch, at 2 p.m. at the Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak St. Under discussion will be the problem human oceanic activities create by generating high levels of underwater noise, which can interfere with the ability of sea animals to communicate with each other. Risch will talk about a project designed to map and evaluate noise impact throughout the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Suggested donation: $2. Registration and information: 408-432-3997.

· The Snow Library will continue its Rowena Myers Concert series with “Society by the Sea” at 4 p.m. in the Crane Room of the library, 67 Main St., Orleans. The swing and jazz group features pianist Bob Hayes. All programs in the series are sponsored by the Rowena Myers Trust and are presented to the public free of charge. Information: www.snowlibrary.org or 508-240-3760.

· The First Encounter Coffeehouse will host the Chandler Travis Three-O band to celebrate the release of its debut album “This is What Bears Look Like Underwater” at 8 p,m. at the Chapel in the Pines, 220 Samoset Road, Eastham. The Three-O is a smaller offshoot of the nine-piece Chandler Travis Philharmonic. The coffeehouse is a smoke- and alcohol-free venue. Admission: $16, free for children. Information: www.firstencounter.org

Sunday, Jan. 27

· Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary will continue its Sustainable Food series with the documentary “Organic Farms are Everywhere” beginning at 1 p.m. at the sanctuary, 291 State Highway, South Wellfleet. Dietician Nicole Cormier and organic farmer Jim Lough recorded their 18-day coast-to-coast visit to organic farms in 22 states. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Cormier will team up with local farmer and chef Jennifer Ladd for a cooking demonstration. Information: www.massaudubon.org/wellfleet or 508-349-2615.

· Woods Hole Folk Music Society will present singer-songwriter Bill Staines at 7:30 p.m. at Community Hall, 68 Water St. in Woods Hole. Staines will be performing his 41st concert to celebrate the 41st season of the society. He is the only artist to perform every season since the organization's inception. His newest album, “Beneath Some Lucky Star,” was released in 2012. His music has won many awards and has been featured in several films, plus on the HBO series “Deadwood.” He has sung on National Public Radio's “Prairie Home Companion” and “Mountain Stage.” Admission: $15, with discounts for members, seniors, youth and children. Information: www.arts-cape.com or 508-540-0320.

Tuesday, Jan. 29

· Cotuit Center for the Arts will host “Gender and Art: A Film and Discussion” from 7 to 9 p.m. in the center's Art Studio, 4404 Route 28. The film “Who does She Think She Is?”, directed by Pamela Tanner Boll, looks at the lives of five women artists in different areas of the country who are struggling to balance motherhood with careers as artists. Artist Phyllis Hartley will lead a continuation of a “Gender in Art” discussion held in September. Refreshments will be available. Admission is free, donations are appreciated. Information: www.artsonthecape.org or 508-428-0669.

Wednesday, Jan. 30

· The Provincetown Art Association and Museum will present “Walkabout,” a 1971 film directed by Nicholas Roeg at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of Waters Edge Cinema, 237 Commercial St. Part of a FilmArt series titled “Art and Lying: Illusion at the Movies,” the film tells the story of two Australian minors, driven into the outback by their father, and what they discover through a young Aboriginal man on a “walkabout,” or ritual separation, from his tribe. Admission: $5 for PAAM members, $6 for non-members.

· The Cultural Center of Cape Cod will present “An Evening of Poems and Songs About Love: The Poets' Corner Annual Pre-Valentine's Day All Open Mic” from 7 to 9 p.m. at the center, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth. The event will be hosted by Barry Hellman and Joe Gouveia. Both original and favorite poems and songs (acoustic only) are welcome. Open mic sign-up is at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring their own refreshments. Admission is free. Information: www.cultural-center.org or 508-394-7100.